‘Who do you say I am?’ by Kyle Henderson-Begg - 12 March 2023

Who do we think Jesus is, and what difference does this make in our lives? Kyle Henderson-Begg looks at how Jesus’ followers dealt with this question. One of these, famous for doubting, changed their view in a close encounter with the risen Jesus, and their faith propelled them to share what they had found widely. What kind of encounter or experience with Jesus might we need to see him as he is, and who would we tell people that Jesus is?

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‘Waiting for renewal’ by Jack Saunders - 5 March 2023

If you were expecting a big inheritance, how would it affect the way you live today? Jack Saunders looks at the hope promised to Israel through the prophet Jeremiah and asks what hope we might carry through our faith in Jesus now. People following Jesus who have expected movements of renewal typically pray and invest in making disciples, especially looking to equip young people. What can we learn from this that will help us to play our parts in God’s bigger plans for now and the future?

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’Seeing Christ in love’ by Owen Lynch - 12 February 2023

What do we have to do to earn God’s acceptance? Owen Lynch looks at the difference between a religion driven by rules and regulations and the unconditional love of God demonstrated by Jesus and written about through much of the Bible. Jesus embraced groups who were on the fringes of society, including women, the poor and the unclean with apparently limitless love. Could we have been missing this love while distracted by other issues?

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’What is God like? Part 4 - Is God good?’ by Claire Lynch - 5 February 2023

What is God like? Can we really trust that he is good? Claire Lynch looks at some difficult situations which would make us question this and how Jesus’ love and faithfulness might start to provide answers. Looking at the relationship Jesus led followers to cultivate with Father God, could this provide a context for us to learn God’s character? And instead of simply telling ourselves to believe that God is good, what would happen if we began a list of things that make life wonderful that we’d like to thank him for?

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’Seeing Christ in nature’ by Owen Lynch - 22 January 2023

Have you ever had an encounter with Christ Jesus in nature? Owen Lynch looks at how prominently nature featured in the Psalms and was woven into Jesus’ teaching as well as Old Testament stories. Do we tend to separate spiritual and physical things, or can we learn from looking for God’s nature in the world and universe around us? This talk concludes with a visual meditation on Psalm 104, and there’s a guide for how to take this further at the end.

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’Don’t let fear stand between you and your dreams’ by Owen Lynch - 8 January 2023

How scary is it to launch into new things? Owen Lynch looks at how fear gripped some of God’s people when they saw a daunting job ahead of them. Church planting also feels difficult, but Severn Vineyard exists because some people moved from jobs and communities in Nottingham, and now Severn and Field Vineyards are planting Lighthouse Vineyard in Totterdown, Bristol. Owen talks with the leaders and a family who are moving from Severn to Lighthouse to help start this new church.

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’Seeing Christ in you’ by Owen Lynch - 4 December 2022

How and where can we encounter Christ? Owen Lynch looks at the story of Saul who had a famous roadside meeting with the risen Jesus but later wrote about how God revealed his son "in me". Taking on his new name, Paul asked others, "Do you not realise that Christ Jesus is in you?" Could the life, breath and word of God also be in you? How would it change our lives to believe that we are made in God's image and have never been separate from God?

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‘What is God like? Part 3 - A strange kind of King’ by Claire Lynch - 20 November 2022

What kind of King is God? Claire Lynch asks if God really gives us free will or tries to manipulate and force us to obey, and punish us if we don't. If we can tell what God is like by looking at Jesus, his version of being a King seemed unexpected - instead of dominating by force, he emptied himself out in self-giving love and radical servanthood. Do we also carry this image of God in us? What does it mean for our lives if we embrace that, or if we don't? This talk concludes with a Lectio Divina meditation on Philippians 2:5-11.

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“Remember the ‘But’” by Susie Aldridge - 6 November 2022

How is God's work in us life changing when we are under pressure? Susie Aldridge from Dreaming the Impossible looks at how Paul remembered that we don't have to deny our difficulties or fragility but can maintain our sense of value and resilience because of what God has placed in us. This gives us power in present weakness and hope for the future. If we're focusing on temporary things instead, what difference would it make to fix our eyes on eternal stuff, and how can we do that in practice?

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‘Seeing Christ in everyone and everything’ by Owen Lynch - 30 October 2022

How can we recognise God’s presence, and where can we find this? Owen Lynch looks at ways Israel learned to follow and enshrine the presence of God, but also recognise when it seemed to be absent. Was their longing for its return fulfilled in Christ? What would this mean for us if it was? And when the writers of the New Testament point to Christ’s involvement in all of creation, does this mean we can learn to see Christ in everyone and everything? This talk concludes with a time of contemplation for us to engage with these huge questions.

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‘What is God like? Part 2 - Father of love, revealed in Jesus’ by Claire Lynch - 16 October 2022

What shapes your image of God? Claire Lynch looks at different ways people see God and how looking at Jesus can be a way to understand God. This was a surprising challenge to religious leaders in Jesus’ time, and Jesus told a famous story about God’s love and fatherhood which was a shocking contrast with what many expected. Could meeting the extravagantly loving and scandalously forgiving Father Jesus spoke about change your view of God?

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‘What is God like? Part 1 - Who do you say I am?’ by Claire Lynch - 11 September 2022

What is God like, and how can we know? Claire Lynch starts a series of talks looking at this through experiences and shared stories, including a story Jesus shared about people entrusted with resources and asked to make the most of them. What would happen if they responded in kind with trust and faith, and what would happen if they didn't? Can we see these different ways of life in us, and could choosing to live with more trust and faith bring us closer to knowing God?

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‘Encounters With God - Stories from the Old Testament, part 13 - Moses by Owen Lynch - 4 September 2022

How important are rituals to you? Owen Lynch shares about his and the other rituals around us which seem to shape our sense of who we are as well as guiding what we do. Moses led Israel into adopting rituals like Passover which brought people into a shared sense of history, identity and purpose. As Jesus shared his last supper through a Passover meal, he fed his followers with a lasting way to remember who he was, and who they were as a result. Can we find a new sense of ourselves by looking at communion like this, and do we enjoy passing this on?

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‘Encounters With God - Stories from the Old Testament, part 12 - Jacob by Owen Lynch - 28 August 2022

What does it mean to meet with God outside of church? Owen Lynch shares about his experiences on sabbatical leave and looks at the story of Jacob, who had an intense encounter with God after fleeing his family. He’s also not the only person in the Old Testament to experience God’s presence far away from traditional places of worship. How do our encounters with God compare?

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